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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29821134">Trust: A Healing Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGroove/pseuds/GreenGroove'>GreenGroove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Trust [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:55:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29821134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGroove/pseuds/GreenGroove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorothea goes to visit Lady Edelgard one night before an important battle, but Hubert wants to cast her aside. How can Dorothea get past him to see the object of her affections? Pure fluff. [Dorothea/Edelgard]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Trust [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2195271</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trust: A Healing Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Knock knock</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A quick shuffle, then the click of a door opening. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hew-</span>
  </em>
  <span>bie~” Dorothea cooed. “What a sur-</span>
  <em>
    <span>prise</span>
  </em>
  <span>~!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Hubert stepped outside, shutting the door behind him before Dorothea could peek inside.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What is this about?” he asked, nearly a hiss. His eyes narrowed at the way Dorothea rocked back and forth on her heels. She liked to spell trouble for them; her visits to their Emperor becoming more frequent, to his ire.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>About</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Does this need to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>about</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Need I </span>
  <em>
    <span>remind</span>
  </em>
  <span> you that Lady Edelgard needs her rest for the upcoming battle. I need not remind you the </span>
  <em>
    <span>importance</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this battle--?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, Hewbie, save it,” Dorothea said with the wave of a hand. “I’ve heard this a thousand times. Why not save your breath for one thousand and one?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Hubert crossed his arms, doing his best to intimidate the girl away with a look. She raised an eyebrow, then burst out in a mocking giggle.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all that </span>
  <em>
    <span>smoulder</span>
  </em>
  <span>! And for little ‘ol </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” She patted his arm, light. He didn’t flinch away, but he did feel the exchange of cursory magicks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A warning.</span>
  </em>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What is this about?” he asked. He was curt, but remained curious. Dorothea was not one for idle threats, and certainly had a strong enough head on her shoulders not to cross Edelgard’s retainer whenever the first hand struck boredom.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>if you must know</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Dorothea said, coyness slipping through, “I must see our beloved Lady Edelgard--”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Absolutely not.” It was firm, backed by menace. He took a step forward, forcing her back. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> the battle tomorrow requires Lady Edelgard to be the shining visage of well-rested, level-headed perfection, and she entrusted that future to me.” He took another step closer, then glowered at her. “We wouldn’t want anything to </span>
  <em>
    <span>...disturb</span>
  </em>
  <span> that future, would we?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Dorothea took out a fan and hid her face. “Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Hewbie, I wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>dream</span>
  </em>
  <span> of doing anything to compromise the mission…” she trailed off, her gaze landing on her Emperor’s closed door. “...But I can think of something that will.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh? Do tell.” The flicker of tired-concern in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Bingo.</span>
  </em>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Dorothea beckoned Hubert away from the door and farther down the hall, glancing back towards the door occasionally. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You see, it’s um. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>delicate</span>
  </em>
  <span> matter, and one that she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>personally</span>
  </em>
  <span> asked me for help with. I’m afraid that if it does not get resolved tonight, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>might not</span>
  </em>
  <span> be able to lead tomorrow!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Hubert scoffed. “Nonsense. Anything she needs, she has </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> for.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Dorothea cleared her throat, as obviously as possible that she didn’t have a tickle there. “N-not </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Hewbie,” she said, looking at up him. He didn’t get it, instead probably raising the brow underneath the asymmetrical mob of hair of his. She didn’t know. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Go on, then. What is so bad it could single-handedly jeopardize our mission if you cannot see Lady Edelgard tonight?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well, there are…” Dorothea grimaced. She waved her hand in a circular gesture, then at the basket she had been hiding behind her back. “...There are </span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span> that -- to a man, may be considered… </span>
  <em>
    <span>untoward</span>
  </em>
  <span> -- yes, untoward, to address personally, and--”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Herbert held up a hand. “So am I to believe that whatever’s in </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, pointing to the basket covered with a blanket and seemingly packed to the brim with </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, “is something that </span>
  <em>
    <span>only you can bring Lady Edelgard</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yes, that’s correct.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He pinched his brow. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>why is it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lady Dorothea, that she had not </span>
  <em>
    <span>informed me</span>
  </em>
  <span> of your arrival tonight?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, well, that’s simple. These matters </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> delicate after all.” Dorothea shrugged. “She simply must trust me.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Above me? Somehow I doubt that.” Hubert wrenched the basket from Dorothea’s grip, spilling all sorts of goodies from the blanket’s opening at the top. Dorothea swore, gathering the materials to stow away back in the basket.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>Click-click</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hubert? What is…? Oh my goodness, Dorothea?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>At Lady Edelgard’s door was, simply, Lady Edelgard herself, in her pajamas. Instantly, Hubert flew into a bow that averted his gaze. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Lady Edelgard, I do apologize for the interruption to your beauty sleep. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This one, here</span>
  </em>
  <span> seems to insist that </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> personally bring you whatever is in this basket of hers.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yes, and what seems to be the issue, Hubert?” Edelgard asked, suddenly becoming quite stern. “All I see is a gift from a</span>
  <em>
    <span> friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, rather carelessly tossed about. Don’t you?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>As Dorothea finished re-stocking the basket and got back to her feet, she curtsied. “I must apologize, Hewbie was only trying to--”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Edelgard cut her off, while beckoning her to enter her room. “There’s no need to apologize, Dorothea, thank you for bringing me what I had requested.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Hubert faltered. “You… </span>
  <em>
    <span>requested</span>
  </em>
  <span> these?” Dorothea took the basket from his hands and strode past him, sticking out her tongue. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Indeed, I did. I didn’t anticipate -- at </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>stage of the war -- that you would barricade one of our own from seeing me. I understand your concern, but you </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> learn to trust our own! Now, do not bother us and instead focus on your own rest for the night. Goodnight.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>With that, Edelgard slammed the door, and the two ladies collapsed into a heap of giggles on the floor.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Edelgard pressed her ear to the door; once she heard Hubert’s footsteps retreat towards his room, she couldn’t help but smile.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I cannot believe you!” she said, shoving Dorothea. “I can’t believe you stood up to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hubert</span>
  </em>
  <span> just to get me </span>
  <em>
    <span>these</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>For the first time, Edelgard unraveled the gift basket. She took out lotions, minerals, soaps, scents, oils, pastries… just about everything Dorothea could think to include. The sheer number of gifts didn’t miss the Emperor’s keen eye. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You know,” Edelgard said, pausing to crunch a sugar cookie. “If this basket came from someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span>… say, someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>very male</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a certain </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ferdinand von Aegir</span>
  </em>
  <span>… one would be hard-pressed to take this as anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but</span>
  </em>
  <span> an advance...? Perhaps a signal of courtship…?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Dorothea choked on her cookie and rushed to chase it with tea. Fanning her flushed cheeks, she did her best to laugh off the ‘joke.’ </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Y-</span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>! That </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> like him, wouldn’t it?” She coughed to clear her throat from any residual shakiness. Edelgard watched her flounder with fondness - it was not a common sight, and it was one Edelgard knew to cherish when it came.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I can hear him now!” Dorothea soldiered on, feigning her best Ferdinand von Aegir impersonation, complete with chest-puffed gravity. “My name is Ferdinand von Aegir, and I claim you as my wife! Uh, I mean I’m courting you! And I’ll be better at it than you, just you wait and see!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A silence passed between them, then Dorothea felt warm lips graze her own. It took Dorothea a second, but the squeal she emitted sent window pigeons flying as far away as possible.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Shh, we don’t want to wake the dogs </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span>, do we?” Edelgard asked, wearing a coy smirk. She looked out to the night sky, where the pigeons had just flown. “In</span>
  <em>
    <span> my</span>
  </em>
  <span> empire, there won’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be any sort of </span>
  <em>
    <span>maleness</span>
  </em>
  <span> for courtship, copulation, or any other thing of the sort.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Even marriage?” Dorothea asked, still dazed and breathless.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Edelgard nodded. “Of course. And why wouldn’t this be the case? The knots of hatred and cruelty have been strewn so tightly behind so many closed doors. Why can’t love be given even greater grounds to prosper?” She turned to Dorothea and clasped their warm hands together. “Why can’t people like us have a fighting chance, too?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, Edie…” Dorothea swooned. “You know I can’t help it when you get into Emperor-speech-mode…” Her hand grazed Edelgard’s flushed cheek, who in turn leaned into the gentle touch. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Edie, I’m so proud of you. After all you’ve been through, you still </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> a heart to love with.” Dorothea kissed Edelgard’s forehead, settling in front of her to tie her hair into a side-braid. “And that heart is </span>
  <em>
    <span>enormous</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m so… I’m so blessed, and so is everyone in Fódlan.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span>“I feel the same, and I can’t wait for others like us to become… </span>
  <em>
    <span>official.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Edelgard said the last word in a higher-pitch than the others, then cleared her throat. “To trust that the world might one day become so wonderful, oh. Dorothea, with you at my side, I feel that anything is possible.”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
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